KBS has confirmed that Japan's foreign ministry proposed a swift return of all Korean cultural assets in the 1950s during bilateral negotiations on normalizing relations.

The confirmation was made after a review of documents recently declassified by the Japanese foreign ministry.

The documents show that in 1958, a foreign ministry director at the time tried to convey to the Korean government Tokyo's will to return Korean assets at an early date.

They also show that Japan's foreign and education ministries began discussions on the return of the assets in 1953.

However, Japan’s education ministry at the time opposed the return, saying it would damage the legitimacy of Japan's colonial rule.